Overview

When you configure different features for a Cisco MDS 9000 Family switch, such as zoning, DPVM, or port security, you must specify the correct device name each time. An inaccurate device name can cause unexpected results. You can circumvent this problem by defining and using device aliases.

A device alias is a user-friendly name for a port WWN (pWWN) that can be used in all configuration commands as required. All switches in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family support Distributed Device Alias Services (device aliases).

Initial Troubleshooting Checklist

Device alias problems may result in merge, commit, or validation failures, and resolution requires gathering information about the specific failure and the fabric configuration. Begin troubleshooting device alias issues by checking the following items:

Checklist

Check off

Verify the device alias mode (basic or enhanced).

Verify that device alias distribution is enabled.

Verify that the fabric is not locked.

Note:

See the "System Messages" section on page 1-10 for more information about using system (syslog) messages for troubleshooting purposes.

Merge Failure Messages

When a device alias merge fails, review the syslog messages on the switch where the merge was issued (the merge manager). In Example 15-1, the syslog messages indicate that the merge failed as a result of a database mismatch.

Merge Validation Failure Messages

When a device alias database fails validation during the merge process, review the syslog messages on the switch managing the merge and on the switch where the validation was rejected. In Example 15-2, the syslog message indicates that the validation failed on switch sWWN 20:00:00:0d:ec:04:99:40. Example 15-3 shows the syslog message received on the switch that rejected the validation. Both messages indicate that the merge validation failed because the merge would result in the definition of the same zone member in multiple VSANs.

Commit Failure Messages

When a device alias commit fails, review the syslog messages for the switch where the command was issued. Example 15-4 shows that SAP 110 (IVR) failed validation on switch sWWN 20:00:00:0d:ec:04:99:40, which caused the commit to fail. Example 15-5 shows the failure message.

2007 Apr 10 11:54:24 switch-1 %DEVICE-ALIAS-3-COMMIT_FAILED: Failed to
commit the pending database: inter-VSAN zone member cannot be in more
than one VSAN

Verifying Device Alias Database Status Using the CLI

Table 15-1 lists several commands that can be used to verify the device alias database status.

Table 15-1 CLI Commands for Troubleshooting Device Alias Issues

CLI Command

Description

show cfs merge status name device-alias

Displays information about the status of the CFS merge for the device alias database.

show device-alias database

Displays the entire device alias database.

show device-alias internal validation info

Displays information about the status of the validation process (part of a commit or merge).

show device-alias merge status

Displays the result of the device alias merge operation, and the reason for the result.

show device-alias session status

Returns the status of the last CFS command, such as clear, commit or abort. The last action result and reason fields help identify the reason for a failure.

show device-alias status

Displays configuration information for the device alias service, including whether fabric distribution is enabled, the number of device aliases in the database, lock information, and the database mode (basic or enhanced).